Casino card games wherein a player receives a plurality of cards which are then divided into at least two hands are known in the art. One such game is pai gow poker. In pai gow, a player is dealt seven cards after posting an initial bet, which the player then arranges into a two-card “low” hand and a five-card “high” hand. The strength of each hand is determined using standard poker rankings, with two aces being the best low hand, and a royal flush being the best high hand. The player may divide his seven cards into any combination provided that the player's high hand outranks the player's low hand.
In pai gow, a dealer also receives seven cards which are similarly arranged into the best two-card low hand and five-card high hand. The player's initial bet is resolved by comparing the player's high hand to the dealer's high hand, and comparing the player's low hand to the dealer's low hand. Typically, if the player's high hand and low hand both outrank the dealer's high hand and low hand, i.e., if the player wins both hands, the initial bet is paid evenly. If either the player's high hand or the player's low hand outranks the dealer's high hand or the dealer's low hand, i.e., the player wins one of the two hands, a “push” results, wherein the initial bet is returned to the player. If the dealer's high and low hands outrank the player's high and low hands, such that the player loses both hands, the initial bet is forfeited. Typically a commission of approximately 5% is taken from any amount won by the player. In the event that a dealer's hand and a player's hand are of the same poker rank, the dealer wins.
In a typical pai gow game, there are six player positions and one dealer position for a total of seven positions. After each player posts an initial bet, a random number generator is used to determine which position receives the first set of seven cards. Dealing then continues in a clockwise direction from the selected position. Once all players have divided their cards into a high hand and a low hand, the dealer cards are revealed and arranged according to the rules of the particular establishment. Player hands are then compared to the dealer's hand to resolve the initial bets.